Instead of learning to love a new album, this tour has Elvis Costello waxing nostalgic over his catalog. Hot off the release of his memoir, Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink, Costello's so-called Detour shows are a chance for the artist to flesh out the highs and lows of his lengthy career. Mostly solo, he'll be accompanied by a TV, to help him flesh out the tale of, say, his infamous 1977 performance of "Radio Radio" on SNL, and sister combo Larkin Poe, who'll serve as opener and occasional backing band. Catch them at the Paramount on April 11. Tickets are $49.50-$79.50 and available via altitudetickets.com."

01. Lipstick Vogue02. I Hope You're Happy Now03. Accidents Will Happen04. Ascension Day05. Church Underground06. 4507. Radio Soul08. Matter Of Time - on piano09. Shipbuilding - on piano10. Side By Side - on piano11. Mexican Divorce - including Another Brick In The Wall (Part II) - on piano12. Everyday I Write The Book13. Walkin' My Baby Back Home - seated14. Ghost Train - seated15. When I Was Cruel No. 2 - seated16. Watching The Detectives17. Pads, Paws And Claws - with Larkin Poe18. Nothing Clings Like Ivy - with Larkin Poe19. Clown Strike - with Larkin Poe20. That's Not The Part Of Him You're Leaving - with Larkin Poe21. Blame It On Cain - with Larkin Poe22. Down On The Bottom - with Larkin Poe23. Alison - inside the TV24. Less Than Zero - inside the TV25. Pump It Up - inside the TV26. Jimmie Standing In The Rain - including Brother, Can You Spare A Dime?27. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love And Understanding? - with Larkin Poe

I think Elvis not wearing a hat will be the biggest surprise for me when his show hits London.

I shouldn't be checking out his US setlists though... I'm becoming too familiar with it. Don't want to be able to predict the entire thing once I get to see him. Hopefully it will change a little bit by then.

FrankieJ wrote:I think Elvis not wearing a hat will be the biggest surprise for me when his show hits London.

I shouldn't be checking out his US setlists though... I'm becoming too familiar with it. Don't want to be able to predict the entire thing once I get to see him. Hopefully it will change a little bit by then.

I can guarantee you will never be able to predict the entire thing.

Who'd have thought that on last year's tour Elvis would play one offs of Please Release Me and Kid (amongst others) in the UK, as well as, say, If you gotta go, go now (or else you gotta stay all night) in the US.

He's also pulled out a few one night only songs on this tour.

If you predict any of his sets correctly then you are a genius. Or Elvis himself.

As far as his hat is concerned, he'll probably have to put it back on as it can be notoriously cold in London in May. He might be OK in Warwick though.

With a stage set like a mythical rendition of childhood in the ’50s and ’60s, including a giant TV center stage and radio studio lights on either side, Elvis Costello spent a full two hours presenting an autobiographical, retrospective performance piece with music rather than anything like a conventional concert. The show featured Costello on stage with a brace of acoustic guitars to choose from; later in the set, he was joined by opening act Larkin Poe for several songs.

The show carried an air of deep nostalgia — but in the best sense. Some of us in the audience grew up with Costello's music, some of us got through difficult times with the help of his sensitive and emotionally refined songwriting and some probably fell in love with his soundtrack. Costello lived the music: Even when using his imagination, he drew from his grandfather's experiences. The emotional truth and honesty of his songs seemed especially immediate without much, if anything, in the way of a backing band.

Between songs, Costello liberally shared anecdotes from his life along with images projected on the TV screen. Interestingly, none of the images were of himself from any point in his career, thus cementing the focus on the subjects themselves, whether a person or a situation. Costello gently cracked wise with a witty, easy self-deprecation. In the middle of relating a story about his father, a man who sang hits of the day on the radio for a living, Costello told us that at one point, his father went from looking like a clean-cut man in classic ’50s style to taking on a visual style akin to that of Peter Sellers in What's New Pussycat? Then he added, “For some of you younger people, like Austin Powers.”

You couldn't help but be touched by Costello's story of his grandfather, Pat MacManus. From being a childhood horn player to being roped in to serve in France during WWI (where he was wounded and spent the rest of the war recovering) to going on to sing for the wealthy and privileged and ultimately giving it up, Pat had it hard. Costello expressed gratitude for his own ability to make his life as a songwriter and performer, carrying on his grandfather's dream. This provided context for his joke that he comes from a long line of really impractical people.

During the show, Costello used different arrangements for familiar favorites like "Radio Radio," playing it down-tempo. He performed inside the TV set for "Alison," “Less Than Zero” and “Pump It Up," using an electric guitar and giving the songs a punk feel with frayed tonal edges and heightened energy. In the context of the whole show, that moment highlighted the other styles of music that Costello has played. He was never fully punk, but the snarl and incisive lyrics made his earliest albums fit into that world. While having roots in pub rock at night and being a computer operator by day, Costello has carved a niche for himself in which he can collaborate with some of popular music's greatest artists, such as master pop songwriter Burt Bacharach (whose “Mexican Divorce” he performed), his late friend and R&B legend Allen Toussaint, or Brian Eno, to name but a few. That versatility was on display all evening. Without having to rub your face in it, Costello crafted a set that took us not only on a journey through his life in music, but also through the lives of his family and friends.

But the show wasn't all quiet, thoughtful moments and jokes. Costello was in high spirits, and when he was joined by Atlanta-based opening act Larkin Poe, whose own soul-Americana set was worthy on its own, it looked like he had rediscovered his youthful joy in playing the music — and that always elevates the performance of a veteran musician. Rebecca Lovell's lively vocal delivery and Megan Lovell's slide-guitar mastery truly augmented already great songs.

Even with minimal set changes from playing piano, standing while playing with guitar, sitting down playing guitar in the "disguise" of a hat and a pair of fake glasses and a fake nose, with or without the Lovell sisters — the whole affair gave Costello an accessibility that translated to the backstage area. A few of us unexpectedly got backstage passes before the show and got to meet Costello. Sometimes you're disappointed to find your heroes are not who you hope they are, but Costello was the same friendly, gracious person post-show that he seemed to be on stage when it could have been an act. Turns out that with Costello, the music is a performance, but the humanity and sincerity are not.

Set List

1. Lipstick Vogue2. I Hope You're Happy Now3. Accidents Will Happen4. Ascension Day5. Church Underground6. 457. Radio Radio8. Matter of Time9. Shipbuilding10. Side By Side [Harry M. Woods cover]11. Mexican Divorce [Burt Bacharach cover] 12. Another Brick in the Wall (Part 2) [Pink Floyd cover woven on to end of Mexican Divorce]13. Everyday I Write the Book 14. Walkin' My Baby Back Home15. Ghost Train16. Watching the Detectives17. Pads, Paws and Claws18. Nothing Clings Like Ivy19. Clown Strike20. That's Not the Part of Him You're Leaving21. Blame It on Cain22. Down on the Bottom23. Alison24. Less Than Zero25. Pump It Up26. Jimmie Standing in the Rain27. (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love and Understanding

cwr wrote:What does his solo version of "Lipstick Vogue" sound like? I don't think I've ever heard him do this one solo, was he doing this solo back in 1984, or is this a relatively new solo arrangement?

cwr wrote:What does his solo version of "Lipstick Vogue" sound like? I don't think I've ever heard him do this one solo, was he doing this solo back in 1984, or is this a relatively new solo arrangement?